Panel at the Ponce Library
On January 29th, the Barbara S. Ponce Library in Pinellas Park welcomed our chapter for “Coastal Crimes – There’s Something in the Water.” With Tamara Lush as the moderator, a panel of members answered questions about mysteries – especially the cozy mystery. Why do we love cozy mysteries? What makes Florida a great setting for stories? Each author gave their own answer.
After the panel, the attendees were able to speak to the authors and purchase their books. A good event for everyone!
February Meeting: Judge Lee E. Haworth
Judge Lee E. Haworth was born and raised in our area. After attending law school, he went to work for the State Prosecu
tor’s office where he became chief prosecutor in just four years, and went on to join the Circuit Court bench. Then came the first Gulf War. During that conflict, Judge Haworth, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, was deployed to Kuwait City (an active war zone) to help repatriate prisoners of war through Saudi Arabia and back to Iraq, where they would be tried for their crimes.
Following the first Gulf war, he returned to Florida and resumed a “normal” career as a Circuit Court Judge until the 2007 recession hit. He was appointed Chief Judge during the recession.
Some of the cases Judge Haworth worked on when he was an Assistant State Attorney were for John Waterman, John Troy, the Glen Chambers Walker family murders, and Henry Lorenzo Payne.
Sisters on the Move!
Now that places are opening again, the Florida Gulf Chapter is on the move! In October, they traveled to Cedar Key to share their wares; this month, they split up to cover more territory!
Teresa Michaels, Martha Reed, and Cheryl Hollon visited Books at Park Place in South Pasadena, FL for a mass book signing.
Meanwhile, Sarah Glenn and Gwen Mayo returned to Lexington for the annual Kentucky Book Festival. They joined the Derby Rotten Scoundrels chapter to promote Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon, which they contributed to and published for the chapter.
Check this space for future exploits!
The Sisters Sizzled at the Seafood Festival!
Our weekend at Cedar Key was filled with sun, crowds, and brisk sales. Several of us need to replenish our stock!
Many thanks to Lisa Malice, who was the lead in organizing this trip for the chapter.
October Meeting: Avoiding Emotional Clichés
Saturday, October 2nd.
In-person Location: Fruitville Public Library, 100 Apex Road, Sarasota, FL 34240. (Just east of I-75). The meeting will also be broadcast live via Zoom. RSVP for the meeting to receive the Zoom link.
10:30 – 11:30 – FLGC SinC Chapter Business Meeting
11:30 – 12:30 – Presentation by best-selling author Annette Dashofy
12:30 – 2:30 – Group lunch to follow at Gecko’s Grill & Pub.
Do your characters burst into tears when they’re sad? Smile when they’re happy? Yell when they’re angry? Do they get weak in the knees when they’re frightened? If so, it might be time to take your writing to a higher level. In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn to spot these and other clichés as you discover how to delve into even the simplest emotions, allowing your reader to bond more deeply with your character’s heart and soul.
Bio:
Annette Dashofy is the USA Today best-selling author of the Agatha Award nominated Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic and deputy coroner in rural Pennsylvania’s tight-knit Vance Township. Annette is the vice president of the Pittsburgh chapter of Sisters in Crime Chapter and is on the board of directors of Pennwriters. She and her husband live on a farm in Washington County, Pennsylvania with their very spoiled cat, Kensi. TIL DEATH, the tenth in the series was released in June 2020.
September Meeting: Tori Eldridge
Cedar Key Seafood Festival FLGC SinC Vendor Booth
Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime will host a vendor booth as part of the
51st Annual Cedar Key Seafood Festival! This is a great opportunity to reach out to new readers in a relaxed atmosphere. Cedar Key is 2.5 hours from Tampa/3.5 hours from Sarasota, so this is a weekend trip.
To join as an author or volunteer, go to our Meetup event or sign up on our site here.
Silver Linings
Bouchercon, one of the largest mystery conventions held, was canceled this year due to the ongoing COVID crisis. But there are silver linings hidden in the cloud of depression. This Time for Sure, the anthology for the canceled convention, is available on 8/25 with stories by several leading lights of mystery, including G. Miki Hayden, Charles Todd, Alex Segura, and our own Martha Reed! The book is a hardback, and 100% of the net profits benefit the New Orleans Public Library.
The Bouchercon folks have also announced that they will be broadcasting an author discussion one night, and the Anthony Awards the next:
On Friday, August 27:
7 pm ET / 6 pm CT / 5 pm MT / 4 pm PT / Midnight GMT Bouchercon 2021 presents Alafair Burke in conversation with James Lee Burke, hosted by Heather Graham and Introductions from Rachel Howzell Hall.
On Saturday, August 28:
7 pm ET / 6 pm CT / 5 pm MT / 4 pm PT / Midnight GMT Bouchercon 2021 presents the 52nd 2021 Anthony Awards Ceremony! Only previously registered attendees will receive an Anthony ballot.
Check the Bouchercon site for more information as the dates draw closer.
Seeing Friends Again
The Florida Gulf Coast SinC celebrated its first post-COVID-19 hybrid Zoom Room/In-person meeting with a breakfast brunch at the Oxford Exchange in Tampa, FL on June 5, 2021. Thirteen members attended in-person with another 14 participating online. James McGowan from BookEnds Literary Agency presented: “What Do Agents Do, and How Do I Find One?”
In July, we return to Zoom only with a meeting on Saturday, July 10, 2021 from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
J.J. Hensley, a former police officer and former Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service will present his program: The Secret Service – Fact and Fiction.
Be sure to RSVP through our MeetUp site to get the meeting’s Zoom link.
